Our Time
by JoelyWolf
Summary: When Amy Rose appears to die, Sonic finds comfort in his long time rival, Shadow the Hedgehog. But what Sonic doesn't expect, is that through his loss of Amy and through Shadow's loss of Maria, the two form a bond Sonic never thought was possible.
1. Chapter 1

"Amy Rose is dead."

That sentence froze me in my tracks. My green eyes flew toward the news van and to the news woman, Scarlet Garcia. Surely she's talking about another Amy Rose; the pink hedgehog was fine this morning!

Scarlet continued on speaking in the microphone, "Her body was found directly outside of Doctor Ivo Robotnik's base; she was covered in bruises and dried blood. No stab wounds or bullets were found...the girl was friends with Miles Prower, Cream the Rabbit and more importantly, Sonic the Hedgehog. She was his 'self-proclaimed' girlfriend..."

I stopped listening after that; I needed to get to Robotnik's base. Running at the speed of sound, I nearly bumped into a familiar black and red hedgehog. I skidded to a sudden halt and sighed in exasperation, "Shad, I REALLY don't have TIME for this! Amy-"

"-is dead; I know. Almost everyone knows. And...I truly am sorry." Shadow's amaranth eyes faded like a dimly lit candle, "Though that pink menace drove me crazy half the time...she's always been there for you and the others...and she never did give up on anything. Not even you."

"I'm FINE, Shadow." I rolled my eyes as I rushed past him, "Just...please. Leave me alone. I have to go find her body..." Tears stung at my eyes, but I wouldn't let anyone see them fall. I'd have to stay strong. Not only for my sake, but for my friends' sake, as well.

Soon, I made it to Robotnik's base. But Amy's body was no where to be found. Darn, I forgot; the police must have already taken it.

I spun around, and was met by a pair of crimson eyes.

"Did you find what you were searching for, blue hedgehog?"

"...the police took the body away." I answered, staying right where I was. My eyes closed shut, "I need to go find the others; they probably heard the news, and need some comforting. Poor Cream...her and Amy were inseparable...just like sisters. And Tails. I know he and Amy didn't always get along...but he did care about her. So did Knuckles..."

Shadow folded his arms across his chest. "You really don't seem...too upset. Are you fazed by her death? She basically idolized the ground you walked on."

I flinched, "...of course I am, Shad. But I'm not some blubbering idiot who cries over things like this; I don't spill my feelings out to others, and you of all people should know that."

"Yes, I know." Shadow muttered, "And it's a good thing you're helping the others grieving with Amy Rose's death. Who else would they turn to?"

"I dunno. Listen, I gotta go."

"Don't let me stop you, faker." Shadow stepped out of the way.

"Wait; were you...following me?"

"Of course not; what do you think I am, some sort of eighty year old stalker?" Shadow grumbled, eyes growing hard.

"Nah...you're waaaaaaaay older than that..." I joked, wagging a finger as I zipped on by. I heard him yelling some profane things about me, but I didn't have time to chat any longer.

I had to go help my friends cope with Amy's death.

Cream was sobbing uncontrollably.

Tails was on the couch, his twin tails curled around him…his eyes filled with tears.

Even Knucklehead was here.

He was standing by Cream, expression hard and unreadable. His hands shook slightly as he folded his arms over his chest.

"S…Sonic…"

The yellow fox turned his sky blue gaze to me, "Y…you heard?"

"…yeah." Ears lowered, I made my way over to the couch and sat down beside him. "It's hard…to imagine her gone, you know?"

"S…she was s…supposed to p…pick f..flowers with me and Cheese today!" Cream cried out, before burying her face into Knuckles' stomach.

The red echidna blinked in surprise, before stiffly patting her back.

"I can pick flowers with you." I suggested, looking to the rabbit. Cream bit her lip, sniffed, and stared at me, her brown eyes gleaming in sorrow.

"M…maybe tomorrow, Mr. Sonic…"

"I understand." Nodding once, I began to stand. Tails lightly grasped onto my arm.

His eyes were begging, pleading, "Sonic, please stay? At least for a little bit?"

I wanted to stay…I really did. But…this was getting to be too much. When I found out Amy was dead, something inside of me died, as well. I needed to get away from it all; away from Cream and Cheese, from Tails, from Knuckles… from everything.

But where was I supposed to go?

"Sorry, pal. I really have to go; I promised Shadow I'd go help him find another of the Chaos Emeralds." Before anyone could say another word, I was out the door.

"Never thought I'd ever see you here, Faker."

I sat on one of the barstools at 'Club Rouge'. Shadow was sitting directly beside me, signature frown on his lips.

I just shrugged.

"…you're underage."  
>"So are you."<p>

"Nah, I'm an old man, remember?" Shadow retorted sarcastically, "Besides; weren't you going to comfort your friends in their time of need?"

Sucking in a breath, I nodded. "And I did. For about a minute."

"Come to drink your memories away?" He asked, smirking.

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, right. I'm not the drinking type. What about you? Why are you here, Shad? You don't drink, either."

"Changing the subject, are we? You're right; I don't drink. Alcohol smells disgusting, and after watching a few people here getting drunk, I wish to not participate in it. It damages brain cells, you know."

"Yeah? How do you know it damages your brain? Have you even TRIED a beer before?" I raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I haven't; but have you SEEN some of these Mobians, Sonic?" Shadow asked, just as a male deer and female spaniel staggered toward the exit, giggling and laughing and hiccupping like crazy.

"Right."

"Anyway, why were you only with your friends for a minute? It takes much longer than that to cope with the death of a loved one."

This was getting irritating.

"Sonic…"

My eyes flashed, "No, Shadow! You aren't Dr. Phil, and I'm not gonna spend any time telling you that I'm NOT able to cope with Amy's death!" Without warning, a tear trickled down my cheek. I stood to my feet, and turned my back.

"Sonic…it hasn't even been a day. You can't expect yourself to cope within that time period."

"And why, may I ask, do you care so much?"

"…it's been so many years after Maria's death."

"What does that have to do with Amy?"

"…it has something to do with both of us, Sonic. My sweet Maria died…and your Amy died. I'm still trying to cope, but no matter what I do, I can't get her image out of my head."

I faced Shadow, eyes growing soft, as another tear slipped down onto the floor.

"Sonic…I know what you're going through. If you need help with coping, you should come find me."

This…seems out of character for Shadow. But it might be the fact that he misses Maria…and he knows how much Amy meant to me.

Smiling, I turned to leave again, "Thanks; I will."


	2. Chapter 2

A WEEK LATER...

Shadow and I have been hanging throughout the week, and I thought it would have sucked. Majorly.  
>But I was wrong. In fact, I actually, I dunno...had fun? Weird, I know. Fun...with Shadow. Who knew?<p>

First, we decided to hit the arcade. There wasn't much to do there, considering neither one of us had any money for tokens, so we left. Then, we headed down to the park, took a seat on one of the benches, and just...started talking. About everything.

Shadow spoke of how he and Maria Robotnik met, after he was created...and how they became good friends. He talked of Gerald Robotnik, his creator, and of how he was sent to Earth...

I told him of the first day I met Amy Rose, of when I met Cream and Cheese, of when I met Knuckles, and of course, Tails. I spoke of my parents, and spoke about most of my life.

I never talked this much about myself before, not to anyone. Not even to Tails.

Why was it so different with Shadow?

I've known the black and red hedgehog for a while, but that didn't mean we were friends. In fact, we kicked off to an extremely rough start. We weren't enemies...we were rivals.

My cheeks grew hot as I began to watch Shadow; he was staring up toward the darkening sky, not saying a word.  
>Then...his gaze met my own. The blush spread across my muzzle, and swiftly, my eyes flew shut.<p>

"Did you hear me, blue hedgehog?" Shadow grumbled gruffly.

"...what?"

"I said, what's wrong? Your face is as red as a lobster."

I opened my eyes and gave a thumbs-up, "Couldn't be better."

I was feeling better; the pain of losing Amy hadn't vanished completely, but slowly, the wound was beginning to heal. And I owed it to Shadow.

"Then why are you blushing?" Shadow asked, eying me suspiciously.

"No reason." I mumbled, standing to my feet.

Shadow stood up, and grabbed my arm, spinning me to face him. His eyes studied my eyes, "You're lying, Faker. Now...tell me what's the matter."

"I dunno." I answered honestly, shrugging my shoulders, eyes looking at the ground. And it WAS true! During this week...Shadow's been, well...sympathetic, kind...and fun to be around. It...really wasn't like him.  
>But I admired his candidness, and determination...I think I always had.<p>

Maybe...my hormones are spiraling out of control. That could be the reason that I'm growing attracted to my more aggressive...counterpart.  
>Or it could be the fact...that I wasn't as straight as I thought I was.<p>

Confusion swept over me; was I bisexual? I had to be! I mean, I was still attracted to girls!  
>And now...I'm attracted to Shadow.<br>Why wasn't I attracted to him before?

Shadow leaned forward a little, "...Sonic?" His voice became a hushed whisper, and his eyelids began to droop.

I wasn't ready for this; I just wasn't.

I shook his hands off me, before I took off in the other direction.

I'd never been so confused in my entire life! This was something I couldn't explain. And it was driving me nuts.

Today was the Halloween Bash at Rouge's place. Nothing new; the bat's been throwing the bash every year, for four years in a row. And every year, we went.

This year, it was different. Amy wouldn't be attending it with us. Usually, she'd be dressed up as a princess, and make me go as a knight or something.

I really didn't want to go.

But Tails and Cream were counting on me, and I had to stay strong. Not only for my sake. Both of them knew how much this had taken it's toll on me.

"Sonic? Got your costume ready?"

Tails was standing in the center of the room, dresses as a co-pilot of a plane. A brown piloting scarf hung around his neck, and he wore a pair of brown boots, along with dark brown gloves with finger slits in them.

"Yeah, it's ready."

I picked something easy; maybe a bit too easy. I found an old cowboy hat in the basement, and a pair of black cowboy boots. It would have to do. It seemed boring...but simple.

"...are...you sure? You used to dress as...well, someone more...exciting." Tails noted, eying me in my costume. "You don't want to go as Superman, or-"

"-no. This is fine. Is everyone ready?"

"Yes." Cream walked down the stairs, dressed as a young witch, complete with a purple dress with cobweb patterns, a tall, black hat, and a broom. Cheese, of course, was dressed as a black cat.

"Awesome; wait...where's Knuckles?" Tails asked.

"...here." Knuckles stood beside the door. He was dressed as a vampire. His eyes were maroon, and he had fake fangs, and even wore a black cape. "Let's get this over with." He grumbled, opening the door.

"So glad you guys could make it~" As expected, Rouge answered her door.

Knuckles' body went rigid and a small blush rose to his muzzle. He entered the house first, then Tails, Cream and Cheese, and finally, me.

"Decided to go as a Vegas show girl, I see." I smirked, still watching Knuckles' facial expression. It was quite funny.

Rouge nodded, "Do you like it?" Her tight, black outfit clung to her curvaceous body, and the fishnet stockings showed off her legs. She wore black eyeshadow, and her signature pink lip stick.

And the echidna looked as if he were about to have a heart attack.

"Yes, we do...especially Knuckles." I waggled my eyebrows, then headed for the punch bowl before Knuckles could punch me. Chuckling to myself, I picked up a cup, and poured some of the punch into it.

"I wouldn't drink that, if I were you, blue hedgehog."

"Shadow." I turned to see the black and red hedgehog standing behind me, wearing a white tuxedo, and half of a white masquerade mask on one side of his face.

"Who are you supposed to be?" I couldn't help but ask.

Shadow grinned, "Never heard of the Phantom of The Opera?" He frowned a bit, "I need to talk to you about last night, Sonic."

Oh no, here it comes...I knew what he was going to say. That I shouldn't think of him in that way...we were just friends, or...maybe not even that? Rivals, still. He was simply comforting me in my loss...that's it.  
>There was no way we could be together...he wasn't even bisexual. Was he? He couldn't be!<p>

"I think I know why you were blushing...why you seemed so skittish and nervous." Shadow replied, watching my every move. To my utter surprise, he stepped forward and gently took hold of my wrist, "Sonic..."

"S...Shadow?"

"Listen to me; Maria was a sister to me...nothing more, nothing less. I...never had any real experience with romantic affection of any sort. All these terms...gay, straight...bisexual...they confused the hell out of me, because for the longest time, I couldn't figure out which one I was.  
>But spending more and more time with you...I realized something. You are no longer my rival. You're someone I care about...more than a friend." His tanned muzzle was growing redder by the second.<p>

"Sonic...I want you...to be my partner."


	3. Chapter 3

"Excuse me?"

I can't believe this was happening. Shadow revealing his true feelings for me? AND wanting me to be his partner? There had to be a catch. Or...it was all just some cruel joke. That HAD to be it! Shadow wouldn't actually have feelings for me.

"This isn't a joke, blue hedgehog." The black hedgehog's red eyes narrowed for a moment, before softening, "What is your answer? I know you also have feelings for me."

"I...never told you that-"

"-you didn't have to; I could tell."

"Shadow..."

"Yes?"

I met his gaze and drew a little closer, "...I will be your partner." My voice shook, "I...I'd love to be your partner."

Shadow smirked, pulling me close, "I actually _knew_you would end up saying that, Faker." He leaned in, and I knew in that moment, he was going to kiss me.

I caught my breath as his lips found mine. The kiss was soft and light; not something I was expecting from the Ultimate Life Form. He was surprisingly…gentle. My eyes closed, as the kiss deepened. Shadow slipped his tongue into my mouth, and a tiny moan escaped me. My face grew red, and I heard Shadow's deep chuckle.

After a moment, he drew back and I opened my eyes.

"I _knew _you two would end up together."

"Rouge." Shadow greeted the bat. She was standing next to him, a smug grin forming on her pink lips.

"And how exactly _did_ you know?" Shadow muttered, still holding onto me. He watched her, waiting for her answer.

Rouge shrugged her shoulders, "Girl's intuition. It's not really something that I can explain." She wiggled her eyebrows in a vulgar fashion, "Anyway, I have to get back to Knuckie~" She waved, before walking off, shaking her hips as she did so.

"Unless Knuckles is drunk, there is no WAY that bat's getting lucky." I murmured.

Shadow stared into my eyes, "You're right about that. Sonic…are you worried about how others will take this?"  
>"Take…what?"<p>

"Us. Being together."

"Oh." I thought about it, and frowned. "I don't…know. Guess we'll find out, huh?" I smiled weakly, stomach starting to churn from anxiousness.

"Yes, we will." Shadow squeezed my hand, trying to calm me, "Whatever happens, I'll be here for you, Sonic."

I glanced around; Cream and Tails were talking to each other, looking as happy as ever. Knuckles was trying to get Rouge away from him…everyone seemed to be having a good time.

I opened my mouth to speak, then stopped as a slow song started to play.

_Long road,  
>Of premature decisions leaving me<br>Cold, with only good intentions  
>But it's you who takes my pain away<br>You know it's you who keeps me wide awake  
>You know it's you...it's you…<em>

"Sonic Hedgehog…"

"Shadow?"

"You're going to dance with me."

"Is that an order?"

"No; it's a fact." Shadow gripped my hand tight, "I know you want to."

I smiled, placing my arms around his neck. Then, we began dancing as the song continued.

_This is our time to run away  
>It's our time we don't have to stay here<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<br>This is our time, to forget the past  
>It's our time we can make it last<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<em>

_Long day,  
>Stopping me from saying what I want to say<br>I wish I could do better  
>But it's you who knows just what I mean<br>You know it's you who sees what can't be seen  
>You know it's you...it's you<em>

_This is our time to run away  
>It's our time we don't have to stay here<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<br>This is our time, to forget the past  
>It's our time we can make it last<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<em>

_This is the day we give our own lives away  
>And we won't do what they say anymore<br>We won't walk but we'll run  
>Until all freedom we've won<br>And we will know what this fight was for_

_This is our time to run away  
>It's our time we don't have to stay here<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<br>This is our time, to forget the past  
>It's our time we can make it last<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<em>

_Our time to run away  
>It's our time we don't have to stay here<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<br>Our time, to forget the past  
>It's our time we can make it last<br>'Cause all the things that I never knew  
>That I wanted, are here with you<em>

The song ended, and I felt eyes on us. I glanced over Shadow's shoulder to see people gathered around us…watching. Some in shock and horror, some in surprise and confusion.

Cream and Tails were staring…with smiles on their faces? Rouge was smirking, Knuckles well…his gaze was expressionless.

"I…I can't deal with this, right now." I whispered softly, so only Shadow could hear.

Shadow nodded, leading me through the crowd, "Unless you want to get hit with Chaos Blast, I suggest you people MOVE." He growled, eyes blazing in anger.

I followed after him, ears starting to flatten against my head.

"Kinda ironic how Sonic the Hedgehog's dressed as a cowboy!" Someone in the crowd yelled. It was followed by a round of laughter from a few others, and it broke out into pandemonium.

We made it to the front door, and exited the building.

"That's never going to go away, you know."

"What?"

"The comments. People think it's wrong for males to be together; it's how the world is, Sonic. It's going to be hard, and for the most part, ignoring them will be difficult. But we'll get through it, together." Shadow replied.

A drop of something fell onto my nose. My eyes widened, as I glanced around. Another drop fell on my head…and another, and another…soon, it was pouring down rain.

"Rain, rain, go away!" I grumbled irritably, "Come back again another day…"

"Sonic…"

"I know, Shad. We'll get through this. Now…can we puh-lease get moving? You know how much I HATE water."

"Of course, blue hedgehog."

MY HOUSE LATER...

"Everything will be fine, you'll see." Shadow muttered, as we both sat on the couch in my living room. He grabbed hold of the remote, and turned on the television.

"Scarlet Garcia here, reporting live from Rouge the Bat's Halloween Bash. It seems that everyone here is in an absolute uproar over what happened an hour earlier. Sonic the Hedgehog, the speediest hero in existence, was caught in a romantic embrace with his black and red furred rival, Shadow the Hedgehog, during a slow dance at the party.

No one had the slightest _clue_that the two had any feelings for each other, and I'm not the first to admit that it is quite a shock.

Is this simply because of Amy Rose's death, or is it something more than that-"

The television turned off.

I turned to see Shadow clenching the remote in his hand, red eyes narrowed angrily as he said nothing.

"...like you said, everything will be fine. This whole thing is bound to blow over when the next piece of news hits-"

"-you really _think_ that, Sonic? _You're_ the greatest thing that's happened to Station Square. They aren't going to stop! They'll be trying to get interviews with you, the paparazzi will increase..." Shadow paused, and sighed, "...people who you _think_were your fans...might start hating you. After all...bisexuals aren't really treated very well, anyway."

Taking his hand in mine, I gave a smile. "You'll be right by my side...remember? And...my friends will be there, too. I'll go to the interviews, and answer honestly. I won't mind the paparazzi, and if people hate me...it's their loss, not mine. Do you know why that is?"

Shadow's eyes grew soft, "Why is that, blue hedgehog?"

"Because I have you."

The black furred hedgehog cupped my chin with one hand and set down the remote with the other, "This isn't going to be an easy thing to deal with."

"I know; but...we've both made up our minds." I stated, watching him carefully.

Shadow grinned broadly, eyebrow raised, "Guess it's settled then." He drew me close to him, and leaned in.

My heart raced as I also leaned in, "Shadow..."

"Shhhh...don't speak." Shadow whispered lightly, his lips gently brushing against mine. His eyes closed as he wrapped his free arm around me.

I kissed him tenderly as my arms went around his neck. After a moment, I drew back, "W...wait, the door-"

We both turned our heads to see the front door wide open.

"Who cares?" Shadow answered, kissing me again.

"S...Sonic?"

"Tails." I pulled back again, and Shadow let out an impatient sigh before letting go of me.

The eight year old stood in the doorway, looking at us both with wide eyes. But then...he smiled. "I'm...happy for you guys. Really, I am...it's...just a shock, is all..."

"We know; _no one_was expecting it." Shadow grumbled, arms crossed.

"Anyway...that's all I wanted to say. I'll see you guys tomorrow?" Tails asked hopefully.

Shadow looked to me, then at the young fox, "Day _after_tomorrow; tomorrow, I want to go somewhere special with Sonic."

I frowned a bit, then nodded, "...is that okay with you, little buddy?"

"Course it is!" Tails chirped, then turned and exited the house, "See you the day after tomorrow!"

I looked at Shadow, "Shad..._exactly where_are you taking me, tomorrow?" My green eyes glinted in curiosity.

"Uh-uh, it's a surprise, faker." Shadow teased, smirking, "You'll find that out. Tomorrow." He chuckled, as I let out a groan.

"That's not fair!"

"Who said anything about me being fair?"

_He has a point, there._

"Oh, fine!" I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

"Are you _sure_about this?"

"Yesterday, you said you didn't care what others would think; I can't believe the great Sonic is about to back out." Shadow teased, leading me through the carnival gates. He grabbed my hand, "Don't be a coward."

"I'm _NOT_ being a coward!" I protested, dragging my feet firmly against the ground, "It's just...t...there are...uh, _some water rides_in there, and-"

Shadow rolled his eyes, "Right, right..."

"There are!"

"Listen; either you follow me into the carnival...or I'll _carry_ you." Shadow grumbled, looking me over. "Would you care if I did _that_instead?"

Another Mobian couple eyed us warily as they walked past.

"You're making a scene." I stated, ear flickering.

"_You're_the one causing it, blue hedgehog." Shadow answered matter-of-factly. "Now, give me your answer." He began tapping his foot against the ground, "Once I get to the count of three, I'm slinging you over my shoulder and carrying you in...one...two..."

"_FINE._" I gritted my teeth together, as I walked through the gates. "You're so stubborn."

"And you _aren't?_" Shadow chuckled, following behind. "You're the most stubborn person I know, Sonic."

LATER ON...

"Awwwww, come _on_! The ball HIT the milk bottles!" I argued, staring at the carny behind the booth. "This games cheats! Those bottles were supposed to fall over! I bet you glued them together so that wouldn't happen, right?"

The carny, a tall, muscle bound coyote glared at me. "Hey pal, control yourself. You had your chance, and blew it. _None_of the bottles were knocked over, so no prize for you. Get over it!"

Shadow's hands were balled into tight fists, "...here." He handed the carny another dollar bill, "_I'll_be able to win this game."

"If your buddy over here couldn't do it, what makes you so sure that you can?" The carny threw back his head an laughed.

That is...until the ball was thrown so hard, all three of the bottles shattered into pieces.

"There, I won. Grand prize, please." Shadow demanded, holding out his hand, looking unamused.

The carny and I stared at him, gaping in surprise.

"Oh, fine..." The carny sighed, grabbing the huge stuffed teddy bear, and gave it to the black furred hedgehog. "Dunno how you did it."

Shadow shrugged, "And you'll never figure it out." He grinned, as he led me away from the booth. He turned to me and held out the bear.

"Here...for you."

"But you won it, Shadow..." I shook my head.

"Sonic, _take_it. You were trying to win it, anyway." Shadow placed the bear into my arms.

I smiled slightly, "Gee...thanks, Shad."

"Don't mention it. Now, what ride do you wish to go on, first?" He asked, looking around us. "The Ferris wheel?"

"Nah...that can wait till later." I replied, before spotting the Tunnel of Love. Cheeks reddening, I swiftly glanced away, then back to Shadow.

"What were you looking at-" Shadow stopped, seeing the ride. A cocky grin formed on his lips, "Ahhhhh, I see now." He took hold of my arm, dragging me toward it. "Let's ride it, then."

"S...Shadow-!"

"_Please,_blue hedgehog! I won you that stuffed animal. And now, I want to ride this with you..." He glanced back at me, eyes growing soft.

"Oh...okay." I nodded, blushing furiously, as we both headed off to the Tunnel of Love.


	4. Chapter 4

_The ride's starting..._

The lights were off, and both of us were in one of the small boats. Could Shadow sense my heart racing?

Yeah, we've kissed...but...not on a ride...and...well...

"Sonic?"

"Yeah, Shad?"

"Quit squeezing my hand so damn tightly; you're cutting off my circulation."

"...sorry." I let go and closed my eyes.

I felt Shadow pulling me toward him, "Sonic..."

"...I let _go_ of your hand. You can stop complaining about it now-"

Shadow's lips met my own; gently at first...but then the kiss became hungrier, needier. He pulled me even closer to him, arms wrapping around my waist as he deepened the kiss further. My arms wrapped around his neck as he continued kissing me. His tongue slid into my mouth, and I gasped lightly. My own tongue stroked his, and Shadow let out a tiny groan in pleasure.

I pulled back for air, panting softly for breath. "S...Shadow..."

"...did you enjoy that as much as I did?" His arms were still around me, and he sounded...smug.

"Of course, but..." I sucked in a deep breath, "...I...d..don't want to go too far...at least...not yet..."

"I won't go too far, unless you want me to." Shadow stroked my face gently with one hand, "I promise, okay?" He whispered.

ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER...

"Well, you've been quite a hit with Scarlet Garcia and the news team." Shadow spoke, grabbing my waist from behind, nuzzling me with his tanned muzzle.

"You're telling me! I can't recall how many interviews you and me have had!"

"You and _I._"

"Er, what?"

"The subject is you and _I,_ not you and _me._ Silly hedgehog." Shadow snickered.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, leaning into him. "I can't believe how many people _approve_ of our relationship! I wasn't expecting that."

"Neither was I."

Shadow picked me up, bridal style, and carried me toward the couch. He sat down, with me on his lap. He smiled, not saying another word, as he scanned over me.

"...what? Do I have chilidog on me cheek?" My cheeks grew hot as I looked away.

"No, nothing like that. I just...can't take my eyes off of you." Shadow touched my chin, and turned my head to him. "You're amazing...one of a kind." He lowered his voice, "And all _mine_."

Eyes wide, I thought that over, "Eh, you're right. I _am_ one of a kind!" I smiled anxiously, before trying to get up.

"Uh-uh..." Shadow held me in an iron grip, "Sonic..._please..._ You want this just as badly as I do, I know it. I'll go easy."

"I...don't know-"

Shadow crushed his mouth against mine, and my thoughts seemed to automatically vanish. It was like my brain was now set on 'jelly' or something. I couldn't think straight...his kisses always left me weak kneed and breathless, not to mention dizzy. But in a good way. A very good way.

I kissed him back, and he carefully got up, so that he was above me, crimson eyes locked onto me, burning with passion and desire. "Sonic...I _need_ you." He said huskily.

_Needs_ me...

I stared up into his eyes, smiling, "I need you too, Shad."

FIVE MONTHS LATER...

"Shadow, I want a baby."

"...you _know_ we're both guys, right?" Shadow muttered in a sarcastic tone as he stood from the bed and stretched.

"Haha, Shad." I rolled my eyes, "I _mean_ we could like...adopt a child, or something! Or..." My voice became very soft, "...ask Eggman for help."

Shadow tensed. "The doctor? He wouldn't help you, unless you gave him something of value."

"What about...a chaos emerald?"

"Now I _know_ you've lost it. We need those emeralds, remember?" Shadow faced me, eyes unreadable, "We can't go to the doctor...it's too dangerous. Besides, _he_ was the one who killed..." He stopped in mid sentence and lowered his head.

"...Amy. I know." But it seemed as if I'd almost forgotten. He _murdered_ Amy in cold blood...so why did I want his help so badly?

"...Sonic?"

I sat upright, staring out the window; snow was lightly fluttering onto the ground. It was now December 10th, and Shadow had been my partner/boyfriend for a while, now. We never said it, but we were in love. Very much so.

And I also _knew_ that deep down...Shadow also wanted a baby to call our own.

"I'm just thinking. I don't _want_ some kid who doesn't even look the slightest bit like us! I want him to act just like us, and look somewhat like us, too! If we adopt, we can't have that." I bit my lip, "Shadow, _please._ We can go to Eggman's place today, and tell him what we want. We'll trade him something, _anything!_ I want this so badly, Shad."

Shadow sat down on the edge of the bed, "...if...it means so much to you, we'll go. But at the _first_ sign of trouble...we're outta there. Got it?"

"What?" I gasped in mock surprise, "But Shadow, I thought you knew! Trouble is my middle name."

OUTSIDE EGGMAN'S BASE

"Happy, blue hedgehog? We're here. If the doctor refuses, we're leaving." Shadow reminded me as we stared up at the huge building.

"Yeah, yeah, I know!" I sighed impatiently, before both of us entered inside. No sooner did we come in, an alarm sounded. The metallic doors closed shut automatically, making us trapped here.

"...you _were_ right." Shadow admitted, jaw set, "Trouble IS your middle name!"

"No time to argue!" I grabbed his hand in mine, and we sped down the hallway, alarm growing louder. Shadow spin dashed into one of Eggman's robot minions, as did I. "We really don't have time for THIS, either!" I shook my head as we landed on our feet and continued running.

More robots!

"This way." Shadow grabbed me, and began carrying me bridal style, down another hall. "Much quicker this way; don't start with me, blue hedgehog! Doing this is much faster than both of us trying to outrun them. Trust me."

"But, Shad-"

Suddenly, he skidded to a complete halt; Eggman was standing before us, some sort of controller in hand. He raised an eyebrow, "Sonic? Shadow? Oh, yes...I've heard you two have become quite the popular couple..." He chuckled, "Finally come here to get revenge, blue hedgehog? That Amy was some big pest. I'm glad she's gone forever."

My eyes flashed, "How dare you. If everyone KNEW you killed her, WHY aren't you rotting in jail?" It was something that just popped into my mind. I _was_ angry at him...even though, I wanted his help.

"Don't ask me; I don't know the answer."

"Doctor? We...came here, to ask for a favor." Shadow began, watching Eggman with cautious eyes.

Eggman waved his free hand away, "Pah, I don't have time for this! Make it quick, Shadow! Before I press this button. You see, I'm very tempted to do so. And IF I do so...well, you don't want to know what happens."

"Sonic and I want a baby."


End file.
